


The Shattered Hearts - CULT AU

by theroughjourney



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A Lot of Death, Alternate Universe - High School, Armin is the brains, Canonical Spoilers, Character Death, Cult AU, Except with actual death, F/F, F/M, Graphic Violence, M/M, Murder Mystery, Other, Probably won’t have a very happy ending, Scooby Doo Gang - Freeform, Sunny Family Cult inspired AU, Third Person POV, high school gang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25065550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theroughjourney/pseuds/theroughjourney
Summary: When his fellow classmates begin to go missing around Trost High, Eren Jaeger helps an emotionally distraught Ymir locate her missing girlfriend, Christa. But the further they and their friends look into the tunnel, the darker the horizon becomes. It’s clear that not all of them are going to make it out of this alive.Nothing is what they thought it was, and soon, the whole world begins to unravel around them.
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein, Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover, Sasha Blouse/Connie Springer
Kudos: 7





	1. The Suspects

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING**  
> (almost) Nothing happy is going to happen in this fic. I hate myself for even conceiving the story. If you’d rather not see your favorite characters going through torture and murder, I suggest you take back now. Suicide, drug abuse, torture, gore warnings galore. This thing is gonna get edgier than a dodecahedron.
> 
> Also, a lot of the character deaths effectively reflect their canonical deaths, with some twists here and there so it doesn’t get TOO predictable.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a student goes missing amidst a slew of other kidnappings across the city of Trost, renowned Police Lieutenant detective Levi Ackermann is called in to solve the case, alongside his Special Operations police squad. His squad goes to investigate the victim’s home and neighbors, whereas Levi himself goes to make the school brats talk, and meets a very impassioned young man.

Christa Lenz was an exceptionally beautiful young woman. She was pined after by absolutely everyone; No boy could say they hadn’t at least once had a crush on her (besides the ones who weren’t into girls, at least). However, Christa was already claimed by a young woman named Ymir. And you’d think that Ymir would match the sweet, caring, and bright personality of Christa. 

But she was the exact opposite in almost every way.

She would interject herself into the middle of conversations, regardless of your relation to her and/or the current topic being discussed. She’d relentlessly mock her own friends about their own shortcomings, and would actually _attack_ any potential suitor who tried to approach Christa. 

If anybody in the entirety of Trost High deserved to go missing, it was Ymir. If anybody in Trost High deserved to be murdered, however harsh that may seem, it was Ymir. Ymir was the kind of person who deserved whatever misgivings life threw at her. 

Which is why everyone was dumbfounded when Christa ended up being the latest victim of the string of disappearances doting the entirety of Trost. 

Ymir herself was inconsolable, crying and vomiting for days on end after the initial 48 hour period. All that remained as a clue to where her beloved had gone was her bloodied cellphone, found cracked and without fingerprints within a trash can inside the campus.

Attached to the cellphone was an ominous mask, which appeared to be a demonic and graphic human face with enormous teeth, eyes, and blood spattered across it’s entirety. Taped to the mask was the only clue anybody had to solving the mystery, the same clue that appeared at every disappearance.

 _THE NINE TITANS_

Police Detective Levi Ackerman scoffed at the developments of Christa Lenz’s case, or lack thereof. His colleagues and subordinates were useless overall, and hadn’t gotten anywhere with the ‘Titans’ and their kidnappings. There wasn’t any consistency to whom was kidnapped, and the lack of organization frustrated Levi almost as much as the probability of their deaths.

A young boy with jet black hair and dimples, age 5.

An amiable old grocery clerk, age 67.

A businesswoman working as an intern, age 23.

...And those are just a few examples.

As Levi prepared to call for a squad car to take him to the school for questioning, his boss strode into the office. Chief Erwin was a tall, handsome man, and demanded respect from anybody whom worked for him. Levi was always known for his abrasive personality and inability to cooperate with others, and the only reason he hadn’t been sacked was because he was a _phenomenal_ detective.

Erwin stood in the doorway to Levi’s office, a towering figure of authority over the 5’3” man. He wasn’t intimidated in the least, however. 

“Erwin. Took a break from the potty to come and whine at me about the case?” Levi leaned back in his chair, sipping at a home brew of black tea. 

Erwin frowned at his subordinate. “Ackermann, this is serious,” his tone grew firm. “There’s been at least a dozen reported kidnapping by these so-called ‘Titans’, and God knows how many innocent souls have gone unreported. This is a nightmare crime scenario unlike anything our jurisdiction is faced in years, and you need to take that seriously.”

Levi’s eyes met the staunch gaze of Chief Erwin. He pressed his call button nonchalantly. “Ral, Gin, Schultz, Bozad,” he demanded, “my office. Now.” 

Down the hallway, the shuffle of feet could be heard as four deputy policemen threw themselves into the office, saluting Levi with their hands on their hearts. “Sir!” They cried in unison.

“You four, you’re aware of the Lenz case, I’m sure,” he neatly arranged four stacks of papers towards the opposite end of his desk. Erwin watched with an eyebrow raised. “The four of you are assigned to investigate her neighborhood and homestead, and these papers are each copies of all that we know about the victim, her family, her relationships, that shit.” Each of the deputies carefully grabbed the papers, cautioned not to ruffle or crinkle them. They were already laminated with a slim, flawless plastic, and Levi would not show mercy if they messed up his handiwork. 

One of the deputies, a young woman with brown hair and eyes and a short stature, stepped forward. “Sir, are we free to act at our own discretion, or will we receive orders as we commit our investigation?”

Another of the deputies, a bit of an older man with a wide mouth and curled greying hair, scoffed at her remark. “Petra, let our superiors speak before you ask questions. I’m sure we’d already know if you didn’t-“

“Shut the fuck up, Bozad. Ral, you’re free to act as you please, provided that those orders come from Gin. Get going, and if you fuck this up so help me—“

“SIR!” Each of them were out the door in a flash. Levi grumbled and rose to his feet, slinging a black poncho over his shoulders. Erwin didn’t question him, but he answered anyways. “I’ve got some school brats to smack some sense into.”

=•=

“Guys, we can’t just sit by while our friends are being kidnapped! We have to DO something!” Eren slammed his hands down onto the lunch table, startling his friends. Jean raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yaeger, we’d just get ourselves killed,” he argued. “Let the police handle it, you’ll just get hurt doing it yourself.

Marco, Jean’s boyfriend, spoke up. “I- I actually agree with Jean, Eren,” he shuffled in his seat. “My cousin’s inconsolable and if anyone else she knows were to get hurt, I don’t know if she could take it.”

Bertolt bolted upright, nodding at Marco’s words. “Yeah, for our own sake and Ymir’s sake, we should stay clear of official police business.” Annie and Reiner both reciprocated his statement. 

Sasha looked over with worried eyes. “Where is Ymir, anyways? Is she still staying at home?”

Marco nodded solemnly. “She hasn’t left her room in days. I’m extremely worried about her.” 

“Eren, we may not be able to get involved in the investigation directly, but we can research and do our best to help however we can,” Armin offered. “I’m sure the police will come and question each of us, as we were all Christa’s friends.”

Connie fidgeted with his hands. “ I’m worried about my little siblings, guys,” he gulped. “ I heard about some poor kid who went messing, and we’re not even at the same school...”

Nobody had anything to say about that. They ate in ten minutes of unbearable silence before the PA system rang overhead, the voice of Principal Pyxis unmistakeable. 

“ATTENTION, ALL STUDENTS!” He barked. “YOU ARE ALL PROHIBITED FROM LEAVING CAMPUS DUE TO AN ONGOING POLICE INVESTIGATION. ANYBODY CAUGHT TRYING TO LEAVE WILL BE APPREHENDED FOR FURTHER QUESTIONING. REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE UNTIL YOUR NAME IS CALLED DOWN TO THE OFFICE.” His voice rang through the halls with authority.

Jean sighed. “Great, now we’re gonna be stuck here for hours.”

Eren narrowed his eyes. “Horse face, they’re questioning about Christa, not everything is about you!” 

“I—“ Jean’s face was red with embarrassment, but relaxed after Marco places his hand over Jean’s shoulder. Marco was there for Jean and Eren to help prevent conflicts. They were friends, but their brash personalities often clashed. Eren was just happy Jean finally got off of Mikasa’s back when he and Marco got together. 

Suddenly, the PA system rang overhead. “ACKERMAN, OFFICE.” Mikasa rose silently, and strode off.

“Hey, Mikasa!” Eren ran after her, followed by Armin.

“Those three are quite the spectacle,” Marco laughed, before returning to being serious. “I truly hope anything we say can help the investigation.

=•=

Levi held his teacup with his fingertips as three teenagers entered the principal’s office. One was a boy with long, blonde hair, another was a stern looking Asian girl with a red scarf, who reminded Levi of himself. The last boy held a perpetual scowl, his eyes narrowed as he eyed Levi up and down.

“This is about Christa, Right? Do you know where our friend is??!?” The boy practically yelled in Levi’s face, but he was unfazed.

“Easy, brat, I’m asking the questions here.” His gaze met Eren’s eyes. “What the hell are three of you doing here? I thought we were going one at a time.”

The young woman with the red scarf stood up, and spoke with emotion. “Armin, Mikasa, Eren,” she pointed at herself and her friends respectively. “My brother and our best friend. We go nowhere without one another.”

Levi was impressed with the girl’s resolve, and simply nodded. “Fine. Tell me, what was your relationship with Christa...?”

Several hours of questioning went by, with each student coming into the office getting more useless than the next.

“What’s your name, kid?”

A young man with blonde sideburns and a worried expression sat meekly. “Thomas, sir,” he answered.

“What was your relationship with Ms Lenz?” Thomas’s eyes lit up, and Levi was hopeful about his answer.

“Oh, I asked her out last year! Real nice girl, but she, ah, isn’t into guys.”

Levi groaned and smacked his forehead.

About ten minutes later, a tall young brunette with a ponytail walked into the office with a short and slim boy sporting a buzz cut. Levi just let it slide for the sake of getting the hell out of there faster.

“I’m Sasha, and this is Connie, sir,” she answered, shoveling potato chips into her mouth between sentences. The boy looked up to him apologetically.

“Sorry, Sir, she stress eats. We’ll both answer the questions however we can.” 

Levi’s face wrinkled in disgust. “Tch. Whatever.” His eyes shifted back to Connie. “So, were you both friends of Ms. Lenz?” They nodded in unison.

“When did you last see her?” He questioned with a authority, demanding an honest answer. “If you lie, I WILL know.”

Sasha gulped and opened her mouth to speak. “Well, the night before, she, Connie, Ymir and I were on a double date. We went to the movies. We don’t share any classes, so I wasn’t surprised to not see her in school the next day. But, then I heard...” Her voice trailed off and she shoved more food into her mouth, with the boy next to her patting her shoulder as she cried.

“Ymir’s, uh, Christa’s girlfriend, sir,” Connie answered helpfully.

“No shit, Sherlock, I’m a police detective. Is that all?” He asked bluntly. Once again, both kids nodded in unison, this time, shuffling their feet anxiously. “Alright, then you’re both free, brats. Go home and shower, Jesus.” 

=•=

Another twenty minutes of useless brats passed, and two boys wandered into the office. A boy with freckles dotting his entire body and face had his hand locked with another boy; He had an undercut with uncombed light hair, and a look of discomfort on his face. 

“What is with you brats and being all clingy with your shitty high school love interests?” The undercut boy narrowed his eyes, but the other looked at him and shook his head, calming him down.

“I’m Marco,” the boy with freckles answered. “And that’s Jean.” Jean put up a little hand in a halfhearted greeting.

“Spare me,” Levi groaned. “Just tell me what you two have to do with Christa Lenz.” 

Marco spoke first, his voice clear, as if he had nervously rehearsed what he would say over twenty times as his boyfriend held him. Not that Marco would know about that. 

“Well, Ymir is Christa’s girlfriend, as I’m sure you probably already know. I’m her cousin, and the three of us hung out on numerous occasions.” He shifted just feet little. “Uh, Ymir was known for being...abrasive, so she didn’t get along with very many people. I’m her cousin, so she allowed me to stay, most days. He swallowed, as if reliving a bad memory. “She lives with my family, you see, as she...lost her mom,” he spoke meekly. Jean patted his shoulder in his comfort. 

“Do you all pat each other’s shoulders like monkeys? Tch.” He shifted his eyes to Jean, who was sweating bullets. “Pony boy, you’re up.” 

Jean was much less eloquent than Marco. “Uh, uhm, Marco is my boyfriend, so uh, we’d hang out with Ymir and Christa sometimes. Ymir was kind of a dick to me, and everyone, but Christa was the sweetest person you’d ever meet. So uh, yeah, in conclusion, we’re friends.” He gulped as he awaited Levi’s response.

“Alright, sheesh, calm down.” Levi sipped his tea. “I’m not going to kill you or anything, just here to ask questions.” He cleared his throat.

“With that being said, when did each of you last see Christa?” Their eyes both widened with a mix of fear, grief, and misery. 

“We...we were the ones who found the bloodied note, and mask, in the trash can. It was by our outdoor meeting spot we met up her and Ymir at to walk home together. Ymir was not exactly okay after that, she hasn’t left the house since.” Marco’s eyes welled up with tears. “Oh God, I hope they’re both okay.” Jean held him tightly, his own heart palpitating. 

Levi’s gaze softened. I’m genuinely sorry you had to go through that, kids, but I need you to answer more questions. Can you do that?” Both boys nodded slowly. “Good.” 

“You said you were meeting up with Christa. Where were you going?” Levi questioned cautiously. 

“Oh, the four of us were assigned an art project together, and Christa chose the theme,” Jean spoke enthusiastically. “She really liked mythology and wanted the four of us to each paint a portrait of these Norse or whatever Gods called Titans, and—“

“Wait. Did you say Titans?” Jean nodded apologetically.

“Oh, sorry for rambling, I just uh, love art. And yeah, these weird giants that Christa was borderline obsessed with. She drew them allll the time. She said she’d already stated her own painting, and that it was kept in her basement.” Jean looked up to Levi nervously. “Was that helpful?”

Levi sipped his tea in satisfaction. “Actually, yes, Pony boy. It was.” Levi grinned ever so slightly before scowling again. “Now get the hell out of here.” 

Both boys shuffled to their feet and nearly tripped over one another as they practically bolted out the door. Levi could only think about the Titans Jean had mentioned.

Titans.

_THE NINE TITANS._

The note and mask at every single crime scene. 

_Was Christa involved in the other kidnappings?_

Before Levi could ponder any further, his radio rocketed to life. 

“Lieutenant, sir,” He heard Petra’s voice over the radio, frantic. “We have a reported 10-54. Multiple 10-71. Requesting 10-87 at—

“Petra?” Levi leaned his mouth over the radio worriedly. “Petra, fuck the code, ANSWER ME.”

He heard the young woman gasping on the other end. He heard a voice echo in the background. “PETRA, GET OUT OF THERE!” It sounded like Bozad.

“OH GOD, NO!” Petra’s voice screamed out like a dog whistle before it was violently silenced by a muffled gurgling noise, drowning out the screams from Bozad behind her.

And then the radio went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t bring myself to hurt Marco, I think he’s suffered enough. So, he and Jean are gonna be like Scooby and Shaggy, except less hungry and more cute. 
> 
> Pretty much everyone else is fair game to die, though.


	2. Naivety and Heroism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and his friends rally together to save Historia, unaware of the true horrors that await them if they continue. Their naivety and falsehoods of heroism cloud their judgement as they prepare to charge into the worst thing they’ll ever have to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is cutesy.

Eren Yeager wasn’t exactly known for his ability to stay calm under pressure. His temper was fiery, his mind was racing, and his heart was made of gold. If any idiot was going to go die trying to save Christa from probably child rapist-murderers, it would be him. His breath became uneven as he shuddered at the thought of what was happening to the poor girl, his legs trembling beneath the blankets. He threw his covers off and sat upright in his bed, staring out his window into the long, dark, night. He raced around his bedroom, gathering bare essentials, his cellphone, and a few snacks, as well as a gatorade. He hurriedly packed all of the items into his bag, his uncombed dark hair glistening in the moonlight shining in from the windows. He frantically scribbled a note onto a piece of paper, unaware the recipient was already standing in his doorway, watching him carefully.

“Eren.” Mikasa’s voice was smooth, yet dangerous; She was just like a poison dart frog. “What exactly are you doing?”

Eren knew if he said the wrong thing, Mikasa would have his ass doing chores for a month straight.

He glanced around the room nervously, sweating heavily all over. “Uh, y-you see, Mikasa,” He stammered, “I’m going to sleep over at Armin’s.” Her black eyes twinkled in amusement.

“You’re the absolute worst liar in the entirety of Trost, Eren. A blind man could see that you’re planning to go after Christa, like the dumbass you are.” He pouted at her words, a dumbass? Is that what she thought of him? Yeah, her, and probably everyone else, too…

...He was surprised to see Armin standing in the doorway behind Mikasa, flashing a warm smile next to his sister’s smirk. “No need to come over, Eren”, he laughed. “I’m already here!”

Armin was absolutely brilliant. He’d get a near perfect score on any exam he took, regardless of the subject. If it involved critical thinking and problem solving, Armin was all over it. Eren couldn’t relate to Armin like that, not to say he was stupid. Armin was just a genuine genius, and the fact he refused to acknowledge his intelligence for himself made both Eren and Mikasa more frustrated than anything. Armin cleared his throat. “Yeah, Mikasa and I figured you were planning this, since you almost murdered that detective back in--”

\--He cut himself off, sighing. “Poor choice of words for the topic at hand.” He slung his backpack over his shoulders, letting it hit the ground with a reverberating ‘THUMP.’ Eren almost fell over, the backpack had so much force. 

“Fuck, Armin, are there bricks in there?” Eren strained to pick one of them up. It was a history book on...Norse mythology? “Armin, what’s this for?” He asked incredulously. 

“Oh, after we got questioned, I stuck my phone under the desk and left it on record,” Armin admitted. “I simply went back to the office after school ended and pretended I’d lost my phone. Pyxis was none the wiser.” His eyes shone with pride. “After reviewing an excruciating 5 hours of footage, I filed it down into more or less twenty minutes of the most important bits of the discussion.” He took out his phone and offered it to Eren.

“Armin, you’re a genius!” Eren grinned ear to ear, before he looked to Armin worriedly. ‘Isn’t that really illegal?” Eren didn’t much care that they broke the law, but that detective was intimidating, and he didn’t really want to be SWATted. Mikasa was already indulging herself into the Norse mythology book, relaxed onto Eren’s bed with a fixed expression. Eren unlocked the phone with his registered thumbprint.

“Yeah, it was illegal, but I don’t think anyone important knows, or would really care.” Armin laughed nervously. “Please don’t tell anyone else without asking me, first.” Eren gave him a thumbs up and began to play the recording.

“Christa was the nicest girl I ever met, and her girlfriend is a complete jackass. The wrong one got killed, if you ask me.” A voice Eren didn’t recognize made him sick to his stomach. Christa wasn’t dead, and how could someone talk so casually about murder? He felt the pit in his stomach rise as the recording continued.

“Christa? Oh God, did they find her?” The girl’s breathing grew heavy. “No? Oh, the poor thing. She’s so kind, and must be scared to death... We share our first, third, and sixth period classes. She wasn’t in school the day of..” He heard the girl swallow nervously. “The day before, she was all smiles, and I saw her head to the movies with her girlfriend, and these two other friends of theirs. Nice people, maybe they can tell you more? Sasha Braus, Connie Springer.” He recognized that voice as Mina Carolina, a kind-hearted girl in Jean, Ymir, Christa and Marco’s second period freeform art class. He was surprised to hear his friend’s names dropped by this girl he barely knew, but the information itself wasn’t news. Ymir told him after they went that the movie had sucked. Christa said it was amazing. Still, if Mina was good friends with Sasha, Connie, and Christa, maybe she knew more?...

He let the recording continue, but the audio became scratchy and hard to decipher. Armin looked up apologetically. “Oh, I think the air vents must’ve come on at that moment, so it’s kinda hard to pick up the audio from there on out. There’s some important pieces, though.”

Eren hit ‘play’ again, listening carefully. 

“... the...were assigned an art project…..chose the theme,” A choppy, distinctively male voice spoke through the screen. “She really liked mythology…..Norse….Titans….” 

That’s all Eren could make out after that. He looked up to Armin with a smile, because that’s all he needed. Armin flashed the grin right back, because they both couldn’t possibly mistake that arrogant voice from anywhere.

“Time to call Horseface,” Eren declared. “Let’s get the gang together for some good ol’ fashioned Scooby-Dooing.”

Mikasa groaned.

===

Jean held his hands up to the crook of his neck, with Marco’s head resting comfortably on his chest. The moonlight shone onto their faces through their beside apartment window, and they felt almost at peace. At least, they would feel at peace, if Ymir wasn’t in the next bedroom over, crying uncontrollably. The two of them stayed up to watch over her, despite the fact she’d throw heavy shit at them if they tried to enter the bedroom. Jean’s chest tightened as he thought about Christa, and Marco rolled his head over to meet Jean’s eyes.

Jean, Marco, and Ymir shared a two bedroom apartment nearby the high school. They were barely juniors, true, but Jean’s parents lived overseas and Ymir’s were nowhere in the equation, let alone Marco’s. The three of them received financial aid from Jean’s mother and father in France, but they still each worked a job to make ends meet. It was honestly a rather comfortable living, and they were proud of their independence. It also made parties waaaay easier, especially since their only nearby neighbor was a deaf elderly woman. Christa herself visited quite often…

...Christa…

Jean began to cough as he attempted to control his own emotions, startling Marco into sitting up. “Sorry, Marc,” He sighed apologetically as Marco smiled at the nickname. “I just can’t stop thinking about…y’know.” At that moment, Ymir seemed to have thrown a heavy object against her bedroom wall, screaming about how Christa ‘was the best goddamn ray of sunshine’ and ‘needed to be found right now.’ He cleared his throat.“Though, Ymir certainly makes it hard to forget.” 

Marco grabbed Jean’s waist and pulled him in for a hug. “‘S, fine,” He mumbled sleepily. “I’m just really worried about Ymir...she’s family…” He yawned like a lion, widening his mouth to the size of a golf hole. Jean pushed aside impure thoughts and held Marco close, the two of them held in a tight embrace. “Jean, I know you’re worried, too, I can tell.” He teased, causing Jean’s face to redden slightly.

“I never denied that I was worried!” His voice rose slightly as Marco giggled. Jean’s voice grew impassioned as he lifted his posture. “I...I know I’m not great at the whole ‘bravery’ thing--” He began, but Marco cut him off.

“Yes, you are! You’re the bravest person I ever met.” Marco kissed his lips for a moment, holding Jean in a loving grip before letting him breathe. Jean groaned at Marco’s affection, but he knew that Jean liked it.

Jean smiled thoughtfully. “...Either way, it hurts me to say that I agree with Yae- er, Eren, a bit.” Marco’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Yeah yeah, I see your huge dorky grin and eyes like dinner plates. It isn’t like I hate Eren or anything, you know that. We’re just…” He cut his tangent off and continued. “Anyways, I think we should try and help with the investigation. You care about Ymir, I care about you, and Christa’s a good friend.” Jean’s looked over to the bedside for his phone. “I’ll text him, see if we can-”

Marco’s own phone began to reach, and he pulled it out of his boxers. After flashing Jean a ‘don’t judge’ glare, he grinned at the call. “Ask and ye shall receive, child of God,” he joked.

Call From:  
Eren Yaeger

Accept Decline

[Accept]

===

Sasha hungrily munched on the potato chips as she stared intently into her phone screen; Despite her dead-eye focus onto, her movements were flawless as the chips entered the chasm of death from which no food ever escaped. Connie stared back with a twitch in his eye, the slightest bit of sweat furrowing his thin eyebrow. He absentmindedly scratched his buzzed hair, trying with all his might to not falter his gaze from Sasha.

Sasha was a machine when she wanted to be, and not just for eating food. One time, she’d had to run ten consecutive miles during their high school’s field day because she snuck food onto the trip, and she was finished within the next hour. Of course, she needed mountains of food to recover and didn’t stop complaining about it for about four weeks, but that doesn’t repress the fact she managed to do it. 

Connie began to fidget with his hands and kick with his feet as he sat up in his bed, fetal position. He brought his face closer to the phone screen, and Sasha could see the squint forming around the corners of his eyes, and the tears beginning to well up at his glands. Before long, Connie’s eyelashes began to rise and fall. All Sasha had to do was make one move…

...and it’d be all over. Connie gulped as Sasha crunched eagerly on her potato chips, eyeing her newest prey with hungry, determined eyes. Eventually, Connie couldn’t take it anymore, and was about to concede, when…

“BOO!” Sasha suddenly jolted forwards towards the camera, a grin ear to ear on her face. Connie screamed and jumped so high in his bed that he nearly hit the ceiling fan, prompting endless laughter from his girlfriend on the other end. She wiped away her own tears of laughter and pointed a finger accusingly. “You blinked first, Springer! Sasha wins for the twentieth consecutive week!” Connie laughed with her, but there was no humor in it. Sasha raised an eyebrow, concerned. “Is everything alright, Con-Man? You always laugh at our weekly staring contest.”

A slight smile forming at the mention of his nickname, he looked at Sasha through the screen warmly. “Just thinking, ‘bout the whole…Christa thing.” He sighed and flopped backwards onto his bed, hands over his eyes. “I want to say all my worries are related to her, and most of them are!” He laid his arms down and glanced over down his open doorway, able to faintly hear Martin and Sunny laughing in the other room. “They’re my siblings, and I love ‘em to bits. I can’t help but feel this lingering sense of dread hanging over them, especially since that little boy a few years younger than Martin went missing.” 

“Hey, Connie, look at me.” Sasha faced her boyfriend with a look of pure resolve and determination. “I will never let ANYTHING happen to you, or your family. You guys mean the world to me, too,” She paused, beginning to tear up a little. “As long as I’m here, I will protect you guys with my life.” She shoved another handful of potato chips into her mouth, somewhat spoiling the moment, but that’s just Sasha’s way.

“Thanks, Sash’,” Connie grinned with genuine relief visible in his eyes. “I guess I’m a pretty shit boyfriend, considering you’re the one protecting my ass all the time.” Sasha was much taller than Connie, and relatively tall overall. Connie was nearly the shortest in their entire class, apart from…

...Christa. He felt a lump form in his throat. Sasha could sense what was wrong, her hunter’s instinct giving her a special kind of intuition. It was that, or potatoes had a magical quality to them that guy fueled her psychic powers. Connie opted to believe the latter, penning the term ‘potato girl’ in the 1st grade. She had socked him right in the face that day, and ever since, they’d been inseparable. Sasha also refused to stop eating potato chips whenever possible, mostly just to fuck with Connie. Their relationship had an unorthodox, yet very healthy, dynamic. 

“I can’t stop thinking about what Eren said,” Connie admitted. “Like, with your awesome psychic powers, and my deadly ninja skills, we’d find Christa faster than Grumpy the Detective ever could!” He spoke in a half-joking, half-enthusiastic tone of voice, so he could claim either side depending on Sasha’s response. Sasha seemed amused by the concept. 

“Yeah! After all, we found that dog that went missing when we were only five!” Their neighbor’s Labrador, Spot, had run off for like, ten minutes, and they found him pissing in Mrs. Springer’s flowerbeds. It was just a normal day on Ragako Drive, but they felt on top of the world for solving such a case.

Sasha and Connie began discussing how exactly they’d track down Christa and save all of the kidnapped people like naive children. After Connie suggested they recruit a squadron of police dogs with sword helmets and Kevlar vests, both he and Sasha had their call interrupted by none other than Eren Yaeger.

Both answered the phone immediately. “Oh, hi!” They began to unintentionally speak in unison.

“Right now?”

“Bring snacks? Hell yeah!”

“See you in ten, Mikasa/Armin.”

They both hung up and bolted out of their beds, assembling their supplies. 

===

Armin splayed a rudimentary blueprint across the coffee table at Jean and Marco’s apartment, the quiet sobs of Ymir reminding them what they each fought for. As he glanced around at the friends in front of him, he felt at ease, because they were his friends, but also totally screwed, because, well,

They were his friends. Armin knew better than to go forward with the stupid investigation, but his passionate little heart desperate to prove himself (to only himself) created a plan based on all the information that he’d acquired thus far. He’d already assigned a role to each attendee, dubbing them officially the ‘Survey Corps’, watching the streets dutifully to protect Trost. The team was far from perfect, but it was all the had.

Armin Arlert himself, the brains, the man with a (hastily scribbled) plan. If any of them were smart enough to pull off a plan on where to find Christa, it was him. He and the others were still naive, not truly knowing the gravity of their situation. 

Mikasa Ackerman, the ace. She could kill a squirrel by looking at it. No joke, a squirrel met her eyes and promptly fell out of a tree one day. Mikasa nursed it back to health and assured them it was pure coincidence. His point still stood, though. 

Eren Yaeger. The glue that held them all together. The ‘suicidal bastard’, as Jean had jokingly referred to him. Eren reminded him that they were all suicidal bastards now, and that shut him up. Anybody that could shut Jean Kirschtein up was definitely worth their salt.

Bertholdt Hoover. Armin was honestly shocked he showed up, being abashedly opposed to the entire plan from the get-go. He assumed Reiner forced him along, as he shifted uncomfortably while indulging in some pretzels. 

Reiner Braun. The muscle. Big guy nobody wanted to mess with, at least at their high school. Reiner was the quarterback of their football team, and he’d lead them all the way to state last year. _It’s better than nothing,_ Armin thought. 

Annie Leonhart. Armin was too flustered around her to ask her to do anything, but he knew she could hold her own. She usually stuck around Bertholdt and Reiner, speaking sparsely to everyone else. Everyone else was just too afraid to ask her to help, so Armin just labeled her as the ‘Intimidation Factor.’

Sasha Braus. An unstoppable force when the moment called for it, so long as she had her potato chips with her. She had an acute sense of hearing and extraordinary sense of direction and smells, so she was definitely going to be an asset.

Connie Springer. He was a bit short, but his fiery spirit more than made up for it. When he and Sasha were together, they could do anything. Usually they’d just bake pies together for school fundraisers, but Armin knew Sasha wouldn’t function without Connie there, and due to their asexuality, Armin wasn’t worried they’d get...distracted. He jotted Connie down as ‘The Wildcard’. 

Marco Bodt. He was an incredibly smart and surprisingly athletic boy, with a freckled smile that lit up the room. He was (somehow) Jean’s boyfriend of two whole years, and it was clear they both loved one another. Admin jotted Marco down as another asset to the team, due to his intelligence that nearly rivaled Armin’s, and his willingness to get hurt to save friends.

Jean Kirschtein. Eren’s good friend and rival, but only because both boys were arrogant and hotheaded. They argued a lot, but both truly cared for one another despite it all. There was even that thing Eren had...Armin was getting off track. He knew Jean acted like a cowardly wimp, but he was a surprisingly good leader and definitely had street smarts. He’d be more than useful, “especially paired with Marco”, by his own words.

Thomas Wagner. A good friend of Eren’s ever since they were in grade school, Thomas had a kind heart and decent athleticism. He wasn’t the brightest bulb, but he was aware of his own shortcomings and listened to reason. He was a good guy, and genuinely cared deeply for Christa, despite being nearly beaten into critical condition by Ymir when he asked her out. Okay, Ymir only threw one punch, but she had a good hook. The flowers Thomas received in the hospital said ‘From: Christa,’ but Armin knew Ymir’s snobbish handwriting from anywhere.

Mina Carolina. She and Christa were good friends, sharing several classes together, as Armin had recently learned. They’d spoken sparsely, but she was a nice enough girl and definitely had the determination and wits to make a decent addition to the team. She brought along her boyfriend, Nack Tierce, and his best friend, Milieus Zaremski. Armin was annoyed, but he could find something for those three to do.

Ymir Bodt. Marco’s cousin, who was now valiantly standing right beside Armin. The tears streaming down from her eyes helped highlight the desperation and redness of her face, and she nodded in determination. Ymir was incredibly persuasive and perceptive, with good hand to hand skills to boot. 

She scowled at the wall, lost in thought, clearly about Christa. She clenched her fist together and practically shouted,

“LET’S SAVE MY GODDAMN GIRLFRIEND, ASSHOLES!” 

Ymir Bodt...the Rally Call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is not.


End file.
